H TOS Hirr-ruoi-DT. 395
chancellor in keeping1 all talem&d crr^t r^ien out of
office. The spirit of the JLord lias liefer: ed tL« old
sinner, and His blessing has been taken iram kirn, for
not king succeeds and nothing flourishes under Ms
rale."
It &eems tiiat Hiunboldt, when lie receive*! tke
ann-jiinceinent of iliis appointment, at once resigned,
cit-riiaiiclecl ids dismissal; for in August the ivport
witi circulated that HTimboldt had sent in Ms re-
quest tor a dismissal, lie to retire.
All these reports were, however, as it-
seems that tlie consideration of Humboldt's
to the congress of
which to place at Aix-la-
Ohapelle.
In Se|jteml>er? Alexander visited his brother in
London. He from Paris was proceeding to
AOL, whither the king, who seemed to take
pleasure in Ms society, had summoned Mm. William
was also summoned to be present, but did not leaye
until weeks later than his "brother. He did
return to London, and Freiherr Ton Billow at the
head of for several
From Ais, Hnmboldt proceeded to Fjcai£kfiirt?
the former territorial con-
cluded their former labours. IFrom Frankfort, Hum-
boldt proceeded to Berlin^ where Hardenberg was
obliged reluctantly to appoint him to the ministry of
the interior, which divided into two tranches for
the The Count von "Witzlefoezj, adjutant and
confidant of the king, ,a liberal-minded man, wished
for Ms presence to a on Hazdeiiberg*,
Ms influence with Mug to procure
appointment. Hiunboldt appointed of
the interior? in eonjiraction "with the Voaa
Shuckmann, but their departments were ;
Huxoboldt nanied comnii^ioiier of prin-
cipality of NenfehateL
"When Hnmboldt succeeded to on the
12th August, 1818, the political horizon was darken-